Zuo yuezi recipe: Millet and longan congee

When Mr Taiwanxifu and I were dating, we went to an ubertrendy cafe in inner Brisbane where he ordered cous cous. ‘Fried rice,’ he declared when it arrived. I thought this just reflected lack of exposure to North African food until I arrived in Taiwan and realised how prevalent millet — referred to as ‘small rice’ or ‘xiao mi (小米)’ — is in Taiwanese cooking, especially in indigenous cuisine. Indigenous tribes even make it into a potent alcoholic drink that rivals Kaoliang rice liquor in intensity.

Millet also features prominently in Chinese postpartum confinement (坐月子 zuo yuezi) food. Part of the reason for this is because millet, like many other grains, is a galactagogue — a food that is believed to be beneficial for helping lactating mothers increase their milk supply. During zuo yuezi millet is prepared in many ways, but often seen by itself or with other ingredients in a sweet congee.

Millet

Like millet, longan is also a common ingredient in zuo yuezi dishes. It appears paired in sweet congees, and also as a sweetener in herbal soups. According to The Chinese Soup Lady, dried longan are used as a blood tonic, ‘to nurture the heart and to add luster and beauty to the skin’. It is also a ‘warming’ food. This explains its use during zuo yuezi, especially the first few weeks, when the emphasis is on recovering from blood lost during childbirth and assisting women to recover their figure (and beauty). Dried longan also helps with relaxation and insomnia, presumably useful to assist with helping cope with lack of sleep and stretched nerves postpartum.

Dried longan

While I was at Taipei Adventist Hospital, one of my favourite snacks was a congee served mid morning made from millet and longan. I loved the sweet combination with its mixture of Taiwanese black sugar and dried longans. And I like the fact that it is good for you, too.

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About taiwanxifu

‘Taiwanxifu’ (pronounced ‘shee foo’) means ‘Taiwan daughter-in-law’ in Chinese and has been my nickname ever since I married my Taiwanese husband, Sam. I love sampling Taiwanese food, even local specialties such as stinky tofu, pigs blood cake and Taipei beef noodle soup with offal. But there are many other options on the menu. Promise!